A Mauchline family has been overcome with emotion after receiving the best news they could hope for this week.
Ava Bolton was given the all clear from cancer, after an 18-month battle.
Four-year-old Ava was diagnosed with stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma at the start of 2023, when parents Scott and Natalie, and brother, Lucas, set about trying to raise funds for life-changing treatment.
A target of £250,000 was set to get Ava to New York for specialist treatment to stop the cancer from returning in the future.
Over the past 18 months, the community has rallied round in remarkable fashion to show the family their support.
By October the target had been smashed, with the total raised standing at more than £330,000.
While working away this week, Scott received a phone call from Ava's consultant, to pass on the news that he had been dreaming about.
"We found out this week," Scott said.
"She had her scans a couple of weeks ago. I’m away at work just now and I got a call from the consultant to say she’s in remission.
"I just can’t describe that feeling.
"We’re so proud of her and how she’s done this.
"We saw what she’s been like during some of the treatment, and how she couldn’t put across how she felt, but we could see it in her.
"It’s horrible watching it, but to see her come through the other end and be clear is incredible."
Plans are now being drawn up for the Boltons to travel to New York for Ava to go through the specialist treatment she still needs.
Once the first visit is done, Ava will have to return to the States for follow-ups over the next year.
Scott continued: "To get to this point is amazing and a bit emotional.
"Eighteen months ago we never thought that we could be in this situation.
"But over the last wee while, Ava’s test results have always been improving, so we were hoping this would be the outcome.
"We’re trying to arrange everything to head over to New York, and we hope to be there in a couple of weeks.
"The first visit is estimating around 30 days, but we’ve got five visits over the next year to go.
"Once we get the first visit done, and everything’s in place and we know it’s all okay, it will just be the subsequent visits after that."
Scott said he was keen to pass on his thanks to all the community support from far and wide that the family has received over the past 18 months.
"The support from the very beginning has been unreal," he added. "It’s so overwhelming.
"We never thought we’d get as much support as this and we can’t say thank you enough for that.
"So many people have contacted us trying to help in any way they can.
"The kindness of people has really blown us away."
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